1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a mechanism for electrically connecting and disconnecting dark current fuses. More particularly, the present invention relates to a mechanism for electrically connecting and disconnecting dark current fuses employable for circuits in electrical equipment connected directly to a battery mounted in an automobile.
2. Background
To facilitate an understanding of the present invention, a typical conventional mechanism for electrically connecting and disconnecting dark current fuses, as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 62-18947, will briefly be described below with reference to FIG. 11.
Referring to FIG. 11, reference numerals 45 and 46 designate fuse insertion blocks arranged in an electrical connection box 47. As is apparent from the drawing, the fuse insertion block 45 for receiving a dark current fuse 48 extends upwardly to a greater extent than the other fuse block 46 which receives an ordinary fuse 49.
The dark current fuse 48 is practically used to maintain a dark current component, such as a clock, connected directly to a battery in the electrically OFF state until an automobile is delivered to the user after completion of production of the automobile. Usually, the dark current fuse 48 is disconnected from the fuse block in the production factory, and is reinserted in the fuse block later by a dealer before the automobile is delivered to the user. To assure that the dealer can easily insert the dark current fuse in its fuse block 45, the fuse block 45 is intentionally designed to protrude relatively high so as to enable the dark current fuse to be easily distinguished from the other ordinary fuse blocks by the dealer.
With the conventional mechanism constructed in the above-described manner, however, a problem occurs in that the dark current fuse is often lost since there is no means for retaining the dark current fuse after it has been removed from the fuse block.